Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Speed and Temperature

The counter at the main entrance of the business lounge.

Two young high-speed rail attendants watched as a well-dressed young man, pulling a leather suitcase, strolled over.

"Lingling, look! That guy has such a great presence!"

One of the young women nudged her companion, who was looking down and writing something, and whispered.

The girl called Lingling looked up and her eyes met Gao Yuan’s.

Although Gao Yuan wasn’t intentionally trying to project any particular air today, his recent fitness routine and new experiences had significantly improved him.

His horizons had broadened and his mindset had become more serene, making his original calm and gentle demeanor even more pronounced.

As he walked over slowly, he naturally carried the poise of a high-end business elite.

Gao Yuan slowly walked to the business lounge counter and looked up at the two attendants before him.

Both of the young women were quite pretty. Though they only wore light makeup, they won out with their delicate features.

On this point, Gao Yuan had faith in the aesthetic standards of state-owned enterprises.

Whether it was the high-speed rail attendants or the flight attendants on airlines, they were all worth the price of a ticket.

As for regular train attendants, Gao Yuan could only describe them with two words: ’Approachable and down-to-earth.’

Especially their classic call: "Beer, soda, mineral water! Peanuts, sunflower seeds, eight-treasure congee! Hey, pull your legs in!"

Once, Gao Yuan had seen a question online.

"Why are high-speed trains so quiet, while regular trains are so noisy?"

And the answer made Gao Yuan want to give it a "like"!

The answer went like this:

Because the high-speed trains are filled with sons and daughters, while the regular trains are filled with their parents.

The high-speed train is the Ideal, representing the speed of our era.

The regular train is the journey home, representing the warmth of our era.

The high-speed train is so fast you can’t even remember the face of the person sitting next to you.

The regular train is so slow you can hear a person tell their life story.

The high-speed train is the nine-to-five hustle, while the regular train is an encounter with the warmth of everyday life.

Gao Yuan had actually taken his fair share of regular trains. He especially found the KLANG-KLANG sound of the train at night quite sleep-inducing when he was in a sleeper car—provided there was no thunderous snoring or teeth-grinding in the cabin.

After becoming a director, Gao Yuan’s travel was usually by high-speed rail or plane.

Even though the environment had improved, he never once had a comfortable sleep.

In the words of his ex-girlfriend, Zhang Ke, Gao Yuan was a classic case of someone too unrefined to appreciate the finer things.

"Sir, could you please show me your proof of purchase?"

Seeing Gao Yuan standing at the counter, Lingling asked politely.

Her voice was youthful, with just a hint of a more mature, commanding tone.

An assessment immediately popped into Gao Yuan’s mind.

’Even though her Mandarin has a bit of a Hang City accent, her voice is really pleasant!’

Gao Yuan opened the booking page on his phone and handed it to her.

"Alright sir, you’re on train G1964 at 1:35 PM. Have a pleasant journey!"

Lingling finished speaking and handed the phone back to Gao Yuan.

Gao Yuan walked inside and found a random seat to sit down.

The business lounge at Hang City East Station was quite crowded, unlike the high-speed rail station in Gao Yuan’s hometown, which didn’t have a business lounge at all and treated everyone the same.

As Gao Yuan sat down, the perks of business class arrived.

An attendant immediately brought him a cup of hot tea and gently reminded him to pay attention to the boarding time.

Gao Yuan had no intention of trying to hit on this girl.

’There are so many beautiful women in the world. It would be so boring to spend my whole life just trying to pick them up.’

’Besides, he couldn’t be one of those "time management masters"—not only is it ridiculously busy, but it’s also bad for your health.’

After drinking tea for a while, Gao Yuan heard an announcement that train G1964 was about to arrive. He got up and walked toward the boarding gate inside the business lounge.

Gao Yuan’s business class seat was in car number 1.

After the train came to a steady stop, a tall attendant in a blue uniform stepped out.

While not stunningly beautiful, she was certainly pleasant to look at.

After Gao Yuan gave his seat number, the attendant, wearing a professional smile, led him to his seat step by step.

This was also Gao Yuan’s first time in business class. On previous business trips, his company’s reimbursement policy for his level only covered first-class seats.

Because car number 1 was the same car as the locomotive, it only contained four individual compartments.

Gao Yuan’s seat was number 03, which was in the second row, on his left.

After he sat down, the attendant lifted the lid of the storage compartment next to the seat, took out a pair of disposable slippers, and placed them in front of Gao Yuan.

Then she bowed slightly and asked warmly, "Sir, what would you like for a drink or snack?"

"Mineral water is fine."

After he received the attendant’s service, the train started moving.

Gao Yuan’s journey home had officially begun.

He adjusted his seat to a semi-reclined position, put on a disposable eye mask, and closed his eyes to rest.

The trip from Hang City to Xudu City took more than five hours. Gao Yuan slept the entire way, from start to finish, until the attendant woke him up for his stop.

He had taken the high-speed rail so many times, but this was the first time he had slept so comfortably.

’Turns out it’s not that I can’t sleep on the high-speed rail, it’s that I haven’t spent enough money!’

While waiting to get off, Gao Yuan saw that the sky was already pitch-black.

The moment he stepped out of the car, a blast of cold air hit him, making him shiver involuntarily.

Compared to Hang City, the temperature in Xudu City was at least ten degrees colder.

In late November, Xudu City was already close to freezing.

Although Gao Yuan was wearing a winter suit, he could still feel the bone-chilling wind.

Seeing the people getting off around him wearing either wool coats or down jackets, Gao Yuan regretted not wearing a down jacket himself.

The reason he was dressed so sharply in a suit for this trip home was mainly to show off a bit for his mom.

It would be more convincing to let his mom see for herself that he was doing very well in Hang City.

He just didn’t expect to screw himself over first.

Shivering, Gao Yuan couldn’t be bothered to maintain his elegant demeanor anymore.

If he dawdled any longer, he’d definitely catch a cold.

Pulling his suitcase, he jogged out of the high-speed rail station, hailed a taxi, and rushed home.

After warming up in the car for a bit, Gao Yuan first sent a message to a group chat with two girls to let them know he’d arrived safely, then he called his mom.

"Mom, I’ll be home in a little bit."

"Is there anything to eat at home?"

The first thing Gao Yuan asked for was food. It was already almost seven in the evening.

The little he had eaten in the morning had long since been digested, and his stomach was starting to growl.

"What? Why are you back all of a sudden?"

"I’ve already eaten. I’ll go make some dough now and fix you a scallion pancake first."

"You kid, you didn’t even say anything in advance."

Even though Gao Yuan heard his mom complaining, he could still tell she was happy.

The high-speed rail station in Xudu City was less than twenty minutes from Gao Yuan’s home. After getting out of the car, he dropped all pretense and broke into a run with his suitcase as soon as he entered the residential complex.

’It’s just too cold!’

’I’m already home, what’s the point of putting on an act?!’

He quickly ran to the ground floor of his apartment building and realized he had long forgotten the entry code.

He rang his family’s doorbell several times in the cold wind, but no one opened the door.

He figured his mom was in the kitchen cooking, and the sound of the range hood was too loud for her to hear.

Helpless, Gao Yuan could only ring the doorbells of other neighbors. Luckily, most people were home at this hour, so he was able to get into the building.

He hurriedly took the elevator up to his family’s apartment on the 20th floor. This time, he wasn’t worried about not being able to get in.

When he came home last year, he had worried that his mom was getting older and might forget her keys, so he had specially installed a fingerprint and keypad lock for her.

CLICK.

The door opened.

Gao Yuan stepped inside and instantly felt his body enveloped in warmth.

’The heating feels so good!’

But the next moment, his mom saw him, and a single sentence from her made him want to turn right around and go back to Hang City.

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